Jump to content
 

Bratton Lane - Sold


jamest

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the kind comments.

 

If any of you are around Minehead in August you can see it in the flesh.

 

I also have a plan to move the magnets slightly to accomodate some of my Railfreight stock in a 3-2-2 cut down inglenook shunting puzzle. I can then run some more modern BR blue stuff during the day and mix it up a bit.

 

But my kadee fitting on them was a little 'old school', even by my standards, so I'll need to fine tune them and possibly convert them from NEM style to more permanent No5's.

 

Regards,

James

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi James,

 

Top work here, everything has really come together to make a cracking little layout - just my kind of thing!

 

The whole scene is really well balanced, the track weathering and ballasting is great and the buildings and scemic work really set everything off. It is not too cluttered and the overall picture suggests the layout is far bigger than it actually is.

 

Really good stuff and inspires me to have a go and get my own project moving.

 

Thanks again for sharing,

David

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi James,

 

From your photos it looks like you are using insulfrog points - how do you find these with smaller locomotives? Do you have any problems with stalling on the frog? Would seem to be a key consideration for the operation of this type of layout?

 

Cheers,

David

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi David,

 

Yes they are insulfrog. I solder the two stock rails ( is that right?) together and run a power feed to this join too. I have an 08 and it runs fine. Another key aspect is keeping the point flat so the loco doesn't rock.

I won't say it never stalls but it is pretty reliable.

 

Regards,

James

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi David,

 

Yes they are insulfrog. I solder the two stock rails ( is that right?) together and run a power feed to this join too. I have an 08 and it runs fine. Another key aspect is keeping the point flat so the loco doesn't rock.

I won't say it never stalls but it is pretty reliable.

 

Regards,

James

 

Thanks for that James, if it does the job then you can ask nothing more. I do agree that carefully track laying can make all the difference to smooth running. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Slight progress to report.

 

From now on it will be little bits of progress as I add some detail here and there. I have a forklift to finish and some people to source, but I have added a grounded hut for the workmen complete with scrap sheet galvanise.

 

post-7097-0-27301300-1424635127.jpg post-7097-0-78962700-1424635133.jpg

 

I have a love hate relationship with my kadees - and yes it is mainly due to my fitting! I've got the old stock pretty much sorted - I'm not looking for 100% reliable but over 40% would be nice!

 

I might have been a bit rash claiming I would use my railfreight stock too - these are really unreliable but I think a bit of fine tuning based on what I've learnt with the old stock will help. Get them level - the right height - and make sure there is enough resistance in the rolling stock.

 

Any way I did have a, frustrating, running session once I had moved the magnets a little to get two vans in the small sidings.

 

post-7097-0-73123300-1424635438.jpg post-7097-0-76246400-1424635441.jpg

 

post-7097-0-15180000-1424635445.jpg post-7097-0-99247800-1424635449.jpg

 

And I have waved goodbye to Braybridge now so I have spent some of the money on a foray into the sound world....this little chap is about to get a little louder this week!

 

post-7097-0-75533700-1424635555.jpg

 

All the best,

James

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

On the sound front - my SWD chip arrived today!

 

I didn't want to butcher the loco too much, but I was prepared to remove the fan and its moulding, and I had to.

 

Even with this it was no-where near fitting with the plastic casing. SWD said that it could be removed as long as I sat the speaker on a bed of blu-tack (around the edge) so the sound generated in the cavity behind the speaker would be pushed forward. This also keeps it nice and secure.

 

I laid the speaker onto a bed of masking tape to avoid any speaker case contact with wires or loco body.

 

But I have posted my method in the DCC fitting section just in case I've broken any fundamental rules - I know it could be neater, but as long as it works:

 

Speaker and plastic case

post-7097-0-90219200-1424805311.jpg

 

Test fit:

post-7097-0-71140600-1424805314.jpg

 

Butchered fan

post-7097-0-94898100-1424805323.jpg

 

Masking tape bed

post-7097-0-85648100-1424805327.jpg

 

Secured speaker

post-7097-0-98801200-1424805330.jpg

 

Regards,

James

post-7097-0-85513800-1424805333.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hmmm - apparently Bachmann do an adapter that bolts just the speaker using the two mounting screws for the fan.

 

Pity I just chewed them off!!!

 

But on the plus side.....it sounds great!

 

I have a loaned ZTC controller (I've had it for two years as a backup for my first exhibition!!!) and a trusty Hornby select - I had thought I would not be able to use the Select to control the sound decoder, but it is fine. Obviously the ZTC is too, but the select is a handier size for this layout.

 

I have a bit of money left over from the sale of Braybridge so I plan to buy a NCE Powercab. This is based on the fact I will have to return the ZTC at some point, and I feel the powercab will be a little easier to use out front on the layout with one hand.

 

I've also purchased a BR green class 33 from the weathering works - I do like to weather stuff myself but it looked absolutely great in the pictures.

 

Easy come easy go!

 

Regards,

James

Link to post
Share on other sites

Another cracking layout James!

It's funny you are fitting your sound chip today and having problems with the case size. I fitted a sound chip & speaker into my 66 last year but didn't buy a case as I wasn't sure it would fit, so this weekend I finally got round to 3D printing a shallow case for it. Needs a slight size mod and it will be great. It certainly amplifies the sound well.

 

Dave

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi rammy,

 

I might look at cutting back the supplied case and sitting that on blutack.

 

Or maybe making a surround. For now I can play with the bodged version!

 

I am a design engineer for a day job and do quite a bit of 3d modelling. Those rapid prototype printers are pretty impressive.

 

Regards,

James

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Time for some gratuitous 'look what I've bought' shots. As I said before, I do like to try to weather my stuff myself, but I've been looking for an earlier class 33 - and this one was the right price at the right time.

 

It is a Heljan and I'm always really impressed with how they 'sit' on the track and their smoothness when running. It is ideal for shunting duties!

 

post-7097-0-51589300-1425127277.jpg  post-7097-0-35047800-1425127280.jpg

 

post-7097-0-49128100-1425127283.jpg  post-7097-0-62411300-1425127285.jpg

 

post-7097-0-69868800-1425127288.jpg  post-7097-0-27083200-1425127291.jpg

 

Regards,

James

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi all,

 

Time for some gratuitous 'look what I've bought' shots. As I said before, I do like to try to weather my stuff myself, but I've been looking for an earlier class 33 - and this one was the right price at the right time.

 

It is a Heljan and I'm always really impressed with how they 'sit' on the track and their smoothness when running. It is ideal for shunting duties!

 

attachicon.gifP1030729.JPG  attachicon.gifP1030730.JPG

 

attachicon.gifP1030731.JPG  attachicon.gifP1030732.JPG

 

attachicon.gifP1030733.JPG  attachicon.gifP1030734.JPG

 

Regards,

James

Hi James, The 33 looks lovely, as does the 37, your method of speaker fitting in the 37 is the same as mine and works really well.

 

If you want to fit sound to the 33, Legomanbiffo do a replacement belly tank with enclosed speaker, I've just done my Blue one.

 

 

All the best,

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi Andy,

 

I might have confused you with the photos above - but it was the 25 I fitted sound to. I am pleased with it but I'm not going to expand too quickly as it would cost a bit! - My money from the Braybridge sale is running out fast!

 

Your 33 sounds great though - so its something I'm going to be aiming for.

 

Regards,

James

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the kind comments.

 

I had to make some more legs for the layout as my trusty trestles that have served me well on other layouts had to go with Braybridge when it was sold. I made the new ones 12" wide to fit nicely into the layout - as opposed to the 18" previously which was not made to suit this particular layout. The trouble is that this was a little narrow at the height I like to exhibit, and the layout seemed a bit unsteady. So I added some 18" wide feet with improved things immensely.

 

post-7097-0-70949600-1426014948.jpg

 

I've also nicked an idea from others efforts and added a fold down flap at the front. It has a shelf for the shunting cards and to rest the controller:

 

post-7097-0-77076800-1426014933.jpg  post-7097-0-62773100-1426014939.jpg

 

It folds up to keep the layout safe in transit and keep the dust off - but while it is in the conservatory I'm not going to shut it and create a black oven for the card buildings!

 

post-7097-0-18226600-1426014942.jpg

 

And the holes double as wire access and clearance for the point control wire:

 

post-7097-0-26314400-1426014944.jpg

 

I did test the shelf clearance to the inside very carefully!

 

post-7097-0-67816700-1426014951.jpg

 

Thats all for now.

 

Cheers,

James

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...